Review: Carl Jung and Arnold Toynbee: The Social Meaning of Inner Work

J. Gary Sparks

$30.00 ISBN 9781894574478
Inner City Books

 

A quick visit to any social media venue (the world of quotes attributed to famous people) will verify the continuing celebrity of Carl Jung and his world-changing insights. Historian Arnold Toynbee is quoted less often, but Sparks suggests that he was on a parallel path with Jung, as they both noted and put forward their theories that the human psyche is inextricably tied to external manifestation. The two never met but developed an admiration for each other’s work that brings enlightenment to each of their legacies. It is the basis of much of new consciousness thought. Sparks dissects this foundation intelligently and intelligibly with keen discernment and tremendous knowledge. For customers who subscribe to the idea that we all create our own reality, this is book that will explain to them how that idea came to be today’s common wisdom. It is a powerful discussion of symbolism, creativity, the search for meaning, spiritual values, the breakdown of societies, and transformation. It also pays witness to the role of synchronicity in the life of visionaries like Jung and Toynbee.
Anna Jedrziewski
Retailing Insight
Inner City Books